Edgar Degas - The complete works Self portrait Edgar Degas (19 July 1834 – 27 September 1917), born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas (pronounced [ilɛʀ ʒɛʁmɛ̃ ɛdɡɑʀ dœˈɡɑ]), was a French artist famous for his work in painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing. He is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism although he rejected the term, and preferred to be called a realist. A superb draughtsman, he is especially identified with the subject of the dance, and over half his works depict dancers. These display his mastery in the depiction of movement, as do his racecourse subjects and female nudes. His portraits are considered to be among the finest in the history of art. Early in his career, his ambition was to be a history painter, a calling for which he was well prepared by his rigorous academic training and close study of classic art. In his early thirties he changed course, and by bringing the traditional methods of a history painter to bear on contemporary subject matter, he became a classical painter of modern life.

Edgar Degas | 10 Facts About The Famous French Artist | Learnodo Newtonic #2 The Bellelli Family is considered his early masterpiece In 1855, at the age of 20, Degas joined the Ãcole des Beaux-Arts, an influential art school in Paris. However the following year he abandoned his studies in Paris and traveled to Italy, where for the next three years he became engrossed in painting and sculpture. Here Degas made numerous rapid pencil copies of the works of artists he admired including Giotto, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Titian. Also, while living in Italy with his aunt Laura and her husband Gennaro Bellelli, Degas began work on his painting The Bellelli Family. Completed in 1867, the portrait is considered the greatest masterpiece of his early years. The Bellelli Family (1867) #3 His greatest inspirations were Ingres and Delacroix The two artists whose works had the deepest influence on Degas were Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres and Eugene Delacroix. Ingres was a champion of line whose work is marked by clarity of outline and carefully modeled form.

Delacroix was his chief rival and was known for his emphasis on color and movement. Edgar Degas’ reverence for two opposing styles of the time led to his masterpieces of later years which were vigorously drawn, captured movement like never before and were brilliantly colored. Self Portraits of Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (left) and Eugene Delacroix (right) #4 A Cotton Office in New Orleans brought him fame and financial success The early works of Degas were history paintings like the famous Young Spartans Exercising; and portraits depicting family members. Among his paintings of family members was A Cotton Office in New Orleans, which was his only work purchased by a museum during his life. The painting was a turning point in his career bringing him recognition and financial stability. By late 1860s, Degas moved from history to scenes of contemporary life. His paintings of this period include his famous depictions of horses and their riders. Also depictions of women started to become his most favored subject.

A Cotton Office in New Orleans (1873) #5 Degas is most famous for his paintings which depict dancers Edgar Degas was a regular visitor of the old Paris Opera House and was even allowed access to the dance classes as he was a friend of Jules Perrot, the famous ballet master. From the 1870s till his death, Degas continuously explored the subject of dance which accounts for a large portion of his work. He is most famous for his paintings of ballerinas, at work, in rehearsal or at rest. He depicted them from various angles in hundreds of different positions. Degas captured movement like never before which is one of the reasons of the legendary status of his dance paintings. The Dance Class (1874) #6 Edgar Degas is considered as one of the founders of the art movement Impressionism Little Dancer of Fourteen Years (1881) The art movement Impressionism, which among other things is characterized by accurate depiction of light, candid poses and vivid colors, emerged in France in the 1870s. Edgar Degas joined the art group which would later emerge as the Impressionists. He exhibited his work in several Impressionist Exhibitions.

Degas however disliked the term Impressionist and later distanced himself from the movement. Unlike Impressionists, his paintings were not spontaneous and Degas ridiculed their practice of painting outside. Nonetheless his work can more accurately be associated with Impressionism than any other art movement and Edgar Degas is considered as one of the founders of the movement. #7 His most famous painting is L’Absinthe The most famous painting by Edgar Degas is L’Absinthe (The Absinthe Drinker), which is considered a masterful representation of the isolation in Paris during its rapid growth. Apart from his paintings, Edgar Degas is famous for his drawings and sculptures. Degas is known as a superb draftsman. He also created numerous sculptures during a span of four decades. However his only sculpture that was exhibited during his lifetime was Little Dancer of Fourteen Years. Originally sculpted in wax and around two-thirds life size, it is one of his most famous works in any media.

The Absinthe Drinker by Edgar Degas #8 Degas sided with “anti-Dreyfusards” during the Dreyfus Affair In the mid-1890s France was gripped with one of the tensest political dramas in its history known as the Dreyfus Affair. Involving an officer of Jewish background named Alfred Dreyfus it divided French society into two sections. Edgar Degas sided with the “anti-Dreyfusards”. His antisemitism alienated him from many of his friends. In his last years, Degas was troubled with eye problems, had to wear dark glasses outdoors and quit work in 1912. Edgar Degas died in Paris on September 27, 1917. He was 83 years old. Degas never married. He did have close relationships with several females, most prominently American painter Mary Cassatt. Photographic self-portrait by Edgar Degas (c.

1895) #9 He is considered a misogynist by several critics The Bath, Woman Supporting her Back (1887) – Edgar Degas Degas made a series of drawings which showed naked women in awkward poses while drying themselves with towels, combing their hair, bathing etc. This series is among his works which have since been denounced by several critics as misogynist. Also Degas infamously referred to the dancers he drew as his “little monkey girls” and said that “I have perhaps too often considered woman as an animal.” His misogynist and anti-Semitic views have somewhat marred his legacy. #10 Degas is credited with combining Classicism with Impressionism Many unseen artworks of Edgar Degas were exhibited after his death enhancing his artistic reputation not only as a painter but also in the fields of drawing, printmaking and sculpture. Today Degas is considered a pioneer of the Impressionism movement. He is credited with combining the Classical methods which he mastered early on with Impressionistic sensibilities thus giving rise to brilliant artworks which were a source of inspiration for future generations of artists.

Edgar Degas Paintings - Dancers, Ballet, Oil Painting Reproduction Summary Toperfect Art supplies Edgar Degas biography and painting knowledge, which is useful for painters and art fans. Our art gallery not only supply high-quality oil painting reproduction of Degas artwork for sale, but also tell you story about these famous paintings and impressionist style. The famous artists in our art company are good at on canvas reproductions of Degas Dancers and other beautiful painting wholesale such as At the Races , horses racing, ballet, and dancers. Edgar Degas Paintings Pastel Painting * Charcoal Drawing * Pencil Sketch * Wax Crayon Painting All of Degas drawings can be ordered as reproductions of oil painting, acrylic painting, and watercolor painting for wall decor. You're welcome to send your own images of the famous artist to us to paint by hand as painting from photos, which is more artistic collection than those Edgar Degas prints and posters made by machinery. You're allowed to download the painter Degas pictures from Toperfect's website as wallpapers. The copyright of scripts in this website is owned by Toperfect. Toperfect reserves the manual scripts of original version.

Toperfect will take appropriate legal action in the piracy and infringements of copyright. French Impressionist painter, engraver, lithographer, printmaker, pastellist, draftsman, photographer & sculptor born 19 July 1834 - died 27 September 1917 Also known as: Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, Edgar Degas, Degas Edgar, Hilaire-Germain-Edgar Degas, Hilaire Germain Edgar De Gas. Friend of: Giovanni Boldini (1842-1931), Gustave Moreau (1826-1898). Degas was born in Paris on the 19th of July 1834. is a French Impressionist painter and sculptor. The most famous Degas paintings are dealing with ballet dancers , women dancers and racing horses . Generally, he is regarded as an Impressionist, but some of Degas ballerina are with more features of Classicism, Realism and Romanticism. In 1862, he began to be interested in horse racing.

In 1869, the artist drew a large amount of Degas pastel paintings, majority of them are about beach. In early 1870s, Degas was fond of drawing ballet dancers very much. Since 1880, his vision began to decrease. So he turned to create sculptures and wax crayon paintings with lower requirement of vision. Now, the price of some of Degas ballet has reached 16 million dollars. Several of paintings Degas may be seen at the Luxembourg Gallery, to which they were bequeathed, among a collection of impressionist pictures, by M. Caillebotte [1848-1894]. In 1880 he showed his powers of observation in a set of Portraits of Criminals, and Edgar Degas attempted modeling in a Dancer, in wax. The most famous ballet Degas are The Bellelli Family , The Dance Class , L'Absinthe . So, oil painting lovers are very interested in Edgar Degas bio, and reproductions of his paintings for sale in gallery are prevalent. Analysis of Painting by Degas Edgar Degas ballet subjects were increasingly painted by the artist since 1870.

Backstage or rehearsal were shown in many paintings of Degas Dancers, the painter emphasized their professionals in doing a job. L’Absinthe and Singer with a Glove are examples of paintings by Edgar Degas who began to paint café life. Degas Dancer artwork was highly ambiguous due to hinted at narrative content. The subject matter of Degas paintings changed so that his technique changed, too. The painting by Degas Place de la Concorde imparted a sense of movement and called as snapshots, in which the lack of color can be said to link with his interest, e.g. the 1874 Degas Ballet Rehearsal on Stage and the 1876 The Ballet Instructor. The Orchestra of the Opera (1868–69) is another example, depicting fourteen musicians, one of them is in an orchestra pit, only the legs and tutus of the Degas dancers onstage can be seen above the musicians who were cropped by the edge of the artwork. Edgar Degas neglected etching for ten years till the mid-1870s, his changes in media engendered paintings Degas.

As painted in After the Bath, women drying themselves with towels, combing their hair, and bathing are themes of Degas art drawings and paintings. Artist use strokes to draw the form of Edgar Degas Dancer and ballerinas in simplified backgrounds more freely than before. These paintings by Degas use the techniques of Impressionism, they're painted after the heyday of the Impressionist movement and late in Edgar Degas life. The Dance Class (La classe de danse) 85×75cm 1873-1876 The painter paid attention to the colors and motions in the picture which are expressed by the motions and tutus of the ballet actresses. Degas chose a oblique point of view to expand the space, and he also used a corner of the ceiling to envelop the picture. Such a composition of Degas ballerinas is very original. Some balletdancers are practicing under the direction of their teacher. The teacher stands in the centre of Edgar Degas artwork with a crutch in her hand. In the first row, two ballet actresses are waiting their turn to dance.

One of them is holding a fan while the other Edgar Degas Dancers are sitting on the piano twisting and scratching on her back. The Dance Class (La classe de danse) presents a striking contrast between the glamour of the dancing balletdancer and the inelegancy of the actresses in wait. Large amount of paintings by Degas on the scene of ballet dancing won him the title of “ painter of ballet actresses ”. At the Races Except for the scene of ballet, Degas artist created a number of horse racing paintings on canvas. He seldom depicted the on going horse racing because he concerned more about the occasional scene in the horse racing field, such as the posture of the horse and the expression of the rider in the painting of At the Races. Painter Degas was more interested in the atmosphere there. At the Races is the most outstanding in the series of Degas horse racing oil painting.

Degas Absinthe (The Absinthe Drinker or Glass of Absinthe) This Degas artwork is 92 cm × 68 cm Oil on canvas finished in 1876, it's French title is L'Absinthe, and English name is The Absinthe Drinker or Glass of Absinthe, as known much as Degas Absinthe. This painting by Degas was translated original as A sketch of a French Café and then Figures at Café, finally changed to L'Absinthe, the title the artwork is known as Absinthe Degas. Now the Musée d'Orsay in Paris collects the Edgar Degas painting permanently. Degas Absinthe depicts a woman and man sitting at the center and right. The man looks to the right, while the woman stares vacantly downward and a glass of greenish liquid sitting before her. The Degas art is a representation work in depiction of the social isolation due to rapid growth in Paris. Absinthe Degas was showing at first in 1876 and was panned by critics, they said that the painting is ugly and disgusting.

In 1893 after change the title to L'Absinthe, the Edgar Degas artwork was shown again in England and burned a sparked controversy. English critics said that the persons in the Degas Absinthe were degraded and uncouth, a warning lesson against wine and the French in general through this piece of Absinthe Degas by these critics. The paintings of Edgar Degas was regarded as a blow to morality during the show. L’Absinthe by Edgar Degas – Facts & History of the Painting More Famous Works L’Absinthe is a painting in oils on canvas by Edgar Degas that was first exhibited in 1876. It is a relatively small painting, measuring 36.2 by 28.8 inches, and is presently part of the Degas collection held in the Musee d’Orsay in Paris. Composition The painting shows two people sitting in the Café de la Nouvelle Athènes. The café was a popular venue for several impressionist artists at that time. Apart from Degas, the café was also frequented by Van Gogh and Matisse.

The center of the painting depicts the actress Ellen Andree, looking down sullenly at a glass of absinthe. Beside her, to her left, sits a rather scruffy looking Marcellin Gilbert Desboutin, who was a painter, author and printmaker. The Subjects Interestingly, both people in the painting appeared in works by other famous artists. Ellen Andree is one of the subjects in Paul Cezanne’s painting Luncheon of the Boating Party, painted about four years later. In that picture, Andree is portrayed holding a glass to her mouth and is the only person in the painting who is drinking. Marcellin Desboutin was the subject of a portrait by Edouard Manet in 1875. Desboutin was well-travelled and lived for a time in Florence in Italy. It was in Florence that he met and befriended Degas, who was then studying at the Uffizi. Negative Criticism The painting was slated by art critics when it was first exhibited, and even described as ugly. So hostile was the reception that the painting remained unsold and was placed in storage for sixteen years.

It was exhibited again in 1892, but the reception was still extremely negative, with some people actually booing at the work. The following year, the painting was exhibited in England, where it also received trenchant criticism. However, English criticism tended to be about what was seen as the low moral standards depicted rather than the painting’s artistic merits. Leave a Reply 10 Most Famous Paintings by Edgar Degas | Learnodo Newtonic 10 Most Famous Paintings by Edgar Degas Posted October 26, 2015 by Anirudh in Top Ten Lists 3971 10 Most Famous Paintings by Edgar Degas Though he distanced himself from the movement, Edgar Degas is considered as one of the founders of Impressionism, which among other things is characterized by accurate depiction of light, candid poses and vivid colors. Most of his artworks are on the subject of dance and Degas is most famous for capturing movement like no other artist had done before. Here are 10 of his most famous paintings from The Bellelli Family of the 1850s to After the Bath, which he painted in 1895.

French Title: Chez la modiste Year: 1884â1890 The Millinery Shop (1886) Millinery is the designing and manufacture of hats. Over the course of a period of 30 years Edgar Degas created more than 20 artworks of milliner shops. This painting, which depicts a woman examining one of the lady’s hats at a millinery shop, is his largest and only museum scale work on this subject. Advent of factories meant that the private milliner’s shops with handmade works were becoming obsolete. This artwork is not only viewed as a painting about vanity but also as an artist’s tribute to a dying artistic profession he respected. #9 A Cotton Office in New Orleans Year: 1873 A Cotton Office in New Orleans (1873) In this painting Degas depicts the cotton brokerage business of his uncle Michel Musson, who is seen examining the quality of raw cotton in the painting. His brother Rene is reading the The Daily Picayune, his brother Achille is leaning against a window wall while others go about their usual business.

A Cotton Office in New Orleans was the first painting by Degas to be purchased by a museum, and the first by an Impressionist. It marked the turning point in his career bringing him recognition and financial stability. The Star (1878) Degas is most known for his works which depict dancers. While most of these paintings show dancers rehearsing, this one focuses on a lone ballerina on the stage completing an arabesque. Behind her is a dark figure, who is probably her patron who owns and controls her. But for the moment the young ballerina is basking in the glory of her successful performance. By this stage of his career Degas had become a master in capturing the movements of dancers and this painting is among his most famous works on dancers. #7 Place de la Concorde Year: 1875 Place de la Concorde (1875) Place de la Concorde is one of the major public squares in Paris. This artwork depicts a cigar smoking Vicomte Ludovic-NapolÃ©on Lepic with his daughters and dog crossing the famous Parisian square. Lepic was a French artist and archaeologist, and a friend of Degas.

The other man in the painting towards far left is writer Daniel Halevy, another friend of Degas. The painting is known for its political commentary and the placement of Lepic’s hat to cover the Strasbourg statue is often pointed out by art enthusiasts. #6 After the Bath, Woman drying herself French Title: AprÃ¨s le bain, femme s’essuyant Year: 1895 After the Bath, Woman drying herself (1895) This artwork belongs to a famous series by Edgar Degas in which he depicted nude women drying themselves with towels, combing their hair, bathing etc. In the series he often showed women in awkward poses which has led to criticism as well as praise. While some believed he depicted the subjects in their ordinary, private poses; others considered the representations as misogynist. #5 Ballet Rehearsal on Stage French Title: RÃ©pÃ©tition d’un ballet sur la scÃ¨ne Year: 1874 Ballet Rehearsal on Stage (1874) From the 1870s till his death, Degas continuously explored his favorite subject which was ballerinas, at work, in rehearsal or at rest.

He depicted them from various angles in hundreds of different positions. This is among his several paintings which depict the rehearsal of the ballerinas. It is interesting to note the contrast in the expressions and gestures of the dancers who are rehearsing and ones who are waiting to perform. Ballet Rehearsal paintings are among the most cherished and celebrated masterpieces created by Edgar Degas. Interior (1869) Also known as The Rape and described as “the most theatrical of all Degas’s compositions of modern life”, this famous work depicts an intriguing scene of a man and a partially clad woman in a bedroom. The scene remains a mystery due to which it is referred to as the most puzzling major work by Degas. Scholars have attempted to read it as a representation of literary works of the time but none of the explanations have been universally accepted. The painting is also known for the masterful use of light and shadow by Degas to create an intense surrounding for the mysterious scene.

French Title: La famille Bellelli Year: 1858â1867 The Bellelli Family (1867) Considered the greatest masterpiece of his early years, this painting depicts his aunt Laura; her husband the baron Gennaro Bellelli; and their daughters Giulia and Giovanna. Laura is pregnant and dressed in black as she is mourning for the death of her father, who is shown in the portrait behind her. Degas lived with his aunt for a period of time and knew about the strains in the family. Also known as Family Portrait, this painting is famous for brilliantly capturing the tension and division in the Bellelli household, the emotional distance between mother and father and its effect on their daughters. French Title: La Classe de danse Year: 1871â1874 The Dance Class (1874) Edgar Degas was a regular visitor of the old Paris Opera House and was even allowed access to the dance classes as he was a friend of Jules Perrot, the famous ballet master. He observed the most spontaneous and natural movements of the dancers at various stages to create imaginary scenes which seemed true to life.

The above painting, along with another which shares its title, is the most ambitious and remarkably complex representation of dancers by Edgar Degas. In it the artist masterfully depicts the confusion and various movements of the dancers as the lesson is coming to an end. Perrot is conducting the lesson in the rehearsal room of the opera house with a baton to beat time on the floor. #1Â Â The Absinthe Drinker French Title: L’Absinthe The Absinthe Drinker (1876) The most famous painting by Edgar Degas is a representation of the increasing social isolation in Paris during its stage of rapid growth. It depicts a woman staring dully with a glass of Absinthe in front of her. A man who looks like an alcoholic sits beside her. Degas asked the famous actress Ellen AndrÃ©e and Bohemian artist Marcellin Desboutin to pose as two absinthe addicts in his favorite Parisian cafe, the CafÃ© de la Nouvelle-AthÃ¨nes in Paris. The people in the painting were considered by English critics to be shockingly degraded and clumsy, and the woman was even derided as a whore.

Some viewed the painting as a warning lesson against absinthe and the French in general. Later, L’Absinthe gained popularity and influenced works of many artists. It is now known for its uniqueness and considered his greatest masterpiece. Edgar Degas Most Famous Paintings & Artworks World History Edgar Degas Famous Paintings Edgar Degas (July 19, 1834 – September 27, 1917), born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas in France, was an artist known for works in drawing, sculpture, printmaking, painting, and sculpture. He is considered a founder of Impressionism, although he denied the contribution and preferred to be called a realist. More than half of his works depict dancers. He possessed mastery in the depiction of movement, as seen in his female nudes and racecourse subjects. His portraits are revered for their depiction of human isolation and psychological complexity. Learn more » Famous Paintings by Edgar Degas The Belleli Family, 1862 Edgar Degas: Impressionist Figure Painter Impressionism, Early History .

Introduction One of the key figures of modern French painting , the shy, haughty Edgar Degas was one of the core members of the Impressionism art movement although he preferred to be associated with Realism . Strongly influenced by the great Old Masters, notably J.A.D.Ingres (17801867), he is renowned above all for his outstanding figure painting , and is best known for his studies of ballerinas. His portraits, too, are exemplary, and some - like Portrait of a Young Woman (1867, Musee d'Orsay, Paris) - bridge the gap between classical tradition and modern art , in a manner similar to those of the great Russian realist Ivan Kramskoy (18371887). Unlike other Impressionist painters including Monet, Pissarro, Sisley and to a lesser extent Renoir, he had no interest in plein air painting and preferred the calm, composed atmosphere of the studio to the thoughtless spontaneity of outdoor work. He worked in various media including, oils, watercolours, pastels and bronze sculpture.

Although recognized as one of the best genre painters , he also produced numerous history paintings, portraits, still lifes and even landscapes. His best works include: Race Horses in front of the Stands (1866-8); The Bellelli Family (1858-67); The Ballet Class (1874, Musee d'Orsay, Paris); L'Absinthe (1875, Musee d'Orsay); Women Ironing (1884); Woman Combing Her Hair (1887-90); The Blue Dancers (1899, Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow); and the bronze sculpture Little Fourteen-Year-Old Dancer (1879, original is now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York). Many of Degas' paintings are now available as prints in the form of poster art. For a list of the highest prices paid for works of art by famous painters: Top 20 Most Expensive Paintings . Early Life Hilaire Germain Edgar Degas was born in Paris, into an art-loving family. His father was a wealthy banker and his mother was an American from New Orleans.

He started painting seriously early on in life and at the age of 18 turned a room in the family home into a studio, making copies of art works in the Louvre . However, his father expected him to study law, which he did so for a year, before giving up his studies to join the Ecole des Beaux-Arts . It was around this time that he met the renowned Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres who advised him to "draw lines young man, many lines". At the Ecole, he studied drawing under Louis Lamothe, who placed emphasis on traditional academic art especially draftsmanship. He furthered his studies with a 3-year trip to Italy, where he spent all his time painting copies of Renaissance masterpieces by Raphael, Michelangelo and Titian. He was influenced also by the German realist history painter (and closet-Impressionist) Adolph Menzel (1815-1905). History Paintings and Family Portraits Returning to Paris in 1859, he completed a number of historical works in a quasi-orthodox style.

This was because, like Menzel, Degas' early ambition was to be a historical painter: it was only in his early 30s that he changed course and began to specialize in genre-painting. Typical examples of his history painting at this time include: Young Spartans Exercising (1860, National Gallery, London); Semiramis Building Babylon (1861, Louvre, Paris) and War Scene from the Middle Ages (1865, Louvre). The preparatory drawings that he made for these paintings, however - studies of draperies and nudes, such as Standing Nude (1865, Louvre) - already display a confident, vigorous graphic line. In particular, they demonstrate a thorough mastery of the lesson of J.A.D.Ingres, whom Degas, throughout his life, held to be the greatest painter of his age. At the same time he started painting portraits of families and friends, combining a classical and romantic style, while revealing great qualities of simplicity (see for instance: Rene Degas with an Inkwell (1855) Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts).

In fact this remarkable series of family pictures, painted between 1858 and 1870, are also close in spirit to Ingres in their association of a sense of reality with the concept of ideal beauty. His portraits of Therese Degas, Duchess Morbilli (c.1863, Louvre) and of a slender, serious Giulia Bellellin (1867, Louvre), have a delicate psychological depth and certain charm. Moreover, his studies for the Therese Degas portrait, complete with Ingres-like drawing and delicate colouring - in pastel and oils - of the various other figures in the portrait, are among the most harmonious compositions he ever produced. Contemporary Genre Paintings In 1862, while copying a Velazquez in the Louvre, he met the celebrated Edouard Manet (1832-83), who introduced him to a group of young progressive artists centred around Claude Monet (1840-1926).

Although he became a member of this so-called group, Degas felt that he had little in common with these (Impressionist) painters, most of whom preferred to paint outdoors - a habit he had little time for. Even so, it was largely due to their influence, that over the next few years he gave up historical painting altogether and focused on more contemporary genre paintings of horse racing, ballet, cafes and street scenes. His development found critical outlet in the theories of Louis-Emile Duranty, whose article on "The New Painting" echoed his interest in Baudelaire's modernism and in unconventional subjects - for example the world of the turf and the theatre - highly coloured and artificial settings with which his social life had already made him familiar - see for instance: Gentleman Race: Before the Departure (1862, Musee d'Orsay); Racehorses and Jockeys in front of the Stands (1869-72, Musee d'Orsay); At the Racecourse in the Country (1870-3, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston). Very soon he became interested in the dance and in opera.

He painted the Portrait of Mademoiselle Fiocre in the Ballet, 'La Source' (1866-8, Brooklyn Museum), an odd, almost Symbolist painting, with an acid turquoise in the dancer's dress, and followed this with The Dance Foyer at the Opera (1872, Louvre), with its pale blue-greys and yellows. It was during this period that he introduced new and original effects in his composition, which was now often asymmetrical - see The Orchestra of the Opera (1868-9, Louvre). He also employed traces of the Japanese style then in fashion - see Woman with Chrysanthemums (1865, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York). In 1870 he enlisted in the National Guard during the Franco-Prussian war, which meant he did not have much time to paint. After the war, he took a trip with his brother Rene to see his mother's family in New Orleans. One famous work from this time is his realist composition known as The Cotton Exchange (1873, The Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University), which received favourable reviews back in France. He returned to Paris in 1873.

His father died the following year, and Degas inherited considerable wealth. However, his brother had amassed enormous business debts, so Degas was forced to sell everything to avoid bringing scandal to the family name. For the first time ever, he became wholly reliant on selling his art for income. He was now worried about money and became more ill-tempered and pessimistic than ever. In spite of this misanthropy he was fond of Manet and Gustave Moreau (1826-1898) and proved a helpful friend to the sculptor Albert Bartholome on the death of his wife, Perie de Fleury. Impressionism In 1874 Degas, along with Monet's band of progressive painters decided to organise their own group exhibition, outside of the strict confines of the highly conservative Salon . It opened on the second floor of 35 Boulevard des Capucines, in Paris. Degas showed 10 paintings, compared to Monet (5 paintings, 7 sketches), Renoir (6 paintings), Berthe Morisot (9 paintings), Cezanne (3 paintings), Pissarro and Alfred Sisley (5 landscapes each).

Surprisingly, the group - christened "Impressionists", after Monet's composition Impression: Sunrise - was met with derision, both by the critics and the public and the show made a loss. (See Impressionist Exhibitions Paris .) Little did anyone realize that within a generation Impressionism would be a world famous art style, and that Impressionist paintings would be snapped up by art collectors from Boston to Moscow. Degas' own paintings from this time include: Race Horses (c.1866, Musee d'Orsay), Young Woman Standing Next to a Table (c.1867, Musee des Beaux-Arts, Algiers), Portrait of Monsieur and Madame Edouard Manet (c.1868, Municipal Museum of Art, Kitakyushu, Japan) and Woman Ironing (c.1869, Neue Pinakothek, Munich). Technically Degas differed from the other Impressionists because he never adopted the Impressionist name, and avoided plein air painting . As he said himself, "no art was ever less spontaneous than mine.

What I do is the result of reflection and of the study of the Old Masters ." Despite this, his subject matter (scenes of Parisian life), his composition (often off-centre), his experimentation with vivid colour , and his friendship with key Impressionist artists including Manet, all bring him within the fold of the Impressionist school. (See also: Characteristics of Impressionist Painting .) And indeed he continued to exhibit regularly with the Impressionists until 1886, after which time he allowed his entire output to be handled by his faithful dealers, in particular Paul Durand-Ruel (1831-1922). See also: Impressionists Renoir, Sisley, Pissarro, Degas, Cezanne . The New Realism of Photography Impressionist or realist, Degas (like Manet and the later Toulouse-Lautrec) stubbornly resisted the cult of the countryside, along with the Impressionist dogma of painting out of doors, directly from the subject.

Although he visited the Cafe Guerbois - a favourite meeting place of painters and other artists - until 1870, and afterwards the Cafe de las Nouvelle-Athenes - where he enjoyed meeting Manet, Zola and Cezanne - Degas was never really interested in naturalism , or in depicting fleeting changes in light. Instead, he became fascinated with movement and sought to translate the bizarre new realism of photography into the medium of painting . See in particular his exquisite ballet paintings, including: Ballet Rehearsal on the Set (1874, Musee d'Orsay), Dance Class (1874, Musee d'Orsay), Dancing Examination (1874, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York), The Star (1876, Musee d'Orsay) and Dancers Practising at the Bar (1876, Metropolitan Museum of Art). See also: Impressionist Group Splits . Later Years As he became older, he often left large sections of his paintings slightly unfinished. He blamed an eye condition for this, although his contemporaries were to point out that anyone with 'inadequate vision' could hardly have executed such wonderful paintings.

For all his artistic developments, some habits remained constant. For example, he always preferred to work in his studio and figure drawing remained his primary interest. He painted very few landscapes in his time. He was a careful artist, and always planned his works impeccably, with a precise palette - (see also 19th century colour palette ). After about 1880, his preferred medium became pastel in his sketching of ballet dancers and milliners, mainly from memory of earlier works, and his portrait art more or less ceases. In 1881 he exhibited his now famous Little Dancer, a bronze sculpture. Towards the end of his life, as his eyesight began to fail, he turned more and more to sculpture , modelling figures and horses. He became quite wealthy during his career and amassed such a large collection of art that he considered owning a private museum to house it. Instead, it was auctioned off after his death. He died a lonely old man at the age of 83. Most of his friends were already dead. Degas the Artist Degas's art , in fact, does give an extraordinary sense of fleeting impressions, but it is also reflective, built-up, seeking perfection and depth.

Above all, Degas cared for line; his swift, precise drawings show his remarkable skill and his feeling for movement, analysed and projected in a single sweep of the pencil (the Louvre has some exciting series of studies, and the Bibliotheque Nationale in Paris several sketchbooks.) In order to break up the lack of movement in his canvases, he used off-centre compositions, raised the line of the horizon, overturned perspective and indulged in compositions which are often cut off abruptly by the frame. He also turned his mind quite often to photography, and practiced it himself. But he loved exploiting in his compositions the dazzle of artificial light, which emphasized forms (see Miss La-La at the Cirque Fernando, Paris (1879) National Gallery, London). In his oil painting and pastel works, which became more frequent after 1880, the tones were brilliant blues, rich reds and oranges; and the monochrome planes shimmered from the few brushstrokes of pure colour that enlivened them. Degas probed restlessly, tirelessly trying out each pose and each subject again and again.

He rejected Symbolism , which meant escape, and the aestheticism of Art Nouveau , which he found decadent. He was a sharp observer of everyday life. His famous dancers are above all ethereal, childish creatures, transfigured by the phosphorescent gleam of the footlights (see Ballet Rehearsal on the Stage (1874) Louvre). They are suspended, coloured arabesques, but they are also, paradoxically, stupid little urchins exhausted by the monotony of rehearsals, resting, stretching, adjusting their hair or their clothes with clumsy movements, whey-faced and splay-footed (See Dancers in the Wings (1890-5) City Art Gallery, St Louis, Missouri). In fact, Degas was not seeking any seductive grace in the ballet. He liked absurd positions best, and unlikely-looking feats of balance. His eye was even more pitiless when he looked at women at their toilet. He watched them at length, in the bath, getting out of the bath, soaping themselves, rubbing themselves, washing neck, leg or torso (see The Bath (c.1890) Chicago Art Institute).

He showed them in detail, caught them at moments when they might think themselves alone, crouching animal-like, grotesquely busy with intimate care of themselves, scratching themselves. Many of these works are exhibited in pastel (see After the Bath (1885) MoMA, New York; or Woman Combing her Hair (1887-90) Louvre). Degas's vision was no more indulgent when he looked at working-class women or the cafe world. He painted subjects of which Zola approved, but not in the Realist manner of Courbet . His Women Ironing (1884, Louvre), his laundresses and seamstresses, his young milliner crouched over the table making a hat, make no moral or political statement: they merely evoke, in a masterly way, a moment in the lives of ordinary people. These works are notable for their bold composition and violent use of colour, as exemplified by the three hats in At the Milliner's (1881, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York), standing out against an orange wall. See also: Impressionist Painting Developments .

In 1876, Degas painted In a Cafe (also known as The Absinthe Drinker), a portrait of Marcellin Desboutin and the actress Ellen Andree sitting at a table in the Cafe de la Nouvelle-Athenes, motionless and haggard in their distress. It was the only "wretched" picture of his career, and was strongly criticized when it was exhibited in Paris and London in 1893. In his Evening; women on the Terrace of a Cafe (1887, Louvre) the monkey-like faces of the women are set against the winkling background of the boulevard. The same use of light paint is found in the Cafe-Concert at the Ambassadeurs (1876-7, Lyons Museum) in which the singer stands out among the lamps. Degas also depicts the circus, the excitements of the Bourse (Stock Exchange), and even brothels in a set of masterly monotypes, some of which examine light and shade more completely than any of his other works.

Like his delicate In the Luxembourg Gardens (1876-80, Montpellier Museum), several attractive studies show that this middle-class Parisian also loved landscapes; in these pictures he omitted detail in order to express only a poetic, meditative calm. In 1869 he produced a series of bare seascapes in pastel, then about 1890, a number of monotypes drawn from memory of valleys and broad meadows. Legacy Degas' art, ceaselessly renewed, and with an innovatory realism, strongly influenced his contemporaries. He had no formal pupils, but he went on to influence a generation of other artists including Jean-Louis Forain (painter, lithographer/illustrator), Mary Cassatt (leader of American Impressionism ), and Walter Sickert (leader of the English Impressionists). Toulouse-Lautrec (1864-1901), whom Degas defended from the beginning of his career, inherited the artist's taste for drawing and his sharp observation of Parisian life.

The French and Belgian academic realists took from him his subject matter, and sometimes - as in the case of the society portraitist Giovanni Boldini (1842-1931) - his flamboyant colour. But it was the Nabis above all, including Pierre Bonnard (1867-1947) and Edouard Vuillard (1868-1940), who were most in tune with the intimate spirit of Degas' work, with its harsh tones, and were to transpose it into a happier world. See also: Legacy of Monet's Impressionism . Works by Edgar Degas hang in the best art museums around the world, notably the Musee d'Orsay and major American galleries like the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. A collection of his sculpture can be seen in the National Gallery of Art Washington DC.  For more biographies of great artists, see Famous painters .  For more about Impressionist genre painting, see: Homepage .

ENCYCLOPEDIA OF VISUAL ARTISTS Edgar Degas Biography, Art, and Analysis of Works | The Art Story Web Services & Hosting by The Computer Studio | Designed by DesArtLab Impressionism Impressionism A movement in painting that first surfaced in France in the 1860s, it sought new ways to describe effects of light and movement, often using rich colors. The Impressionists were drawn to modern life and often painted the city, but they also captured landscapes and scenes of middle-class leisure-taking in the suburbs. Realism Realism Realism is an approach to art that stresses the naturalistic representation of things, the look of objects and figures in ordinary life. It emerged as a distinct movement in the mid-nineteenth century, in opposition to the idealistic, sometimes mythical subjects that were then popular, but it can be traced back to sixteenth-century Dutch art and forward into twentieth-century styles such as Social Realism. Louis Lamothe Louis Lamothe Louis Lamothe was a nineteenth-century French academic and history painter, and instructor at the École des Beaux-Arts.

A former pupil of Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Lamothe never made much of an impression with his own art, but did go to instruct a host of highly renowned artists, including Edgar Degas, Henri Regnault and James Tissot. Ingres Ingres Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres was a French Neoclassical painter. Although he considered himself to be a history painter in the tradition of Nicolas Poussin and Jacques-Louis David, it was Ingres's portraits, both painted and drawn, that were recognized as his greatest legacy. Gustave Courbet Gustave Courbet Gustave Courbet was a French painter and chief figure in the Realist movement of the mid-nineteenth century. His paintings often contained an emotional bleakness, and were praised for their precision and use of light. Along with Delacroix, Courbet was a key influence on the Impressionists. Renaissance Renaissance In the Renaissance, artists rediscovered techniques like rational space, three-point perspective, and plastic forms. Paintings frequently emphasized the human figure, allegory, classical mythology, and Christian themes. Michelangelo Michelangelo Michelangelo was a Renaissance artist working in Italy in the sixteenth century.

Although first a sculptor, he is perhaps best known for his large-scale painted frescos in the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Raphael Raphael Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, better known as Raphael, was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. He is celebrated for the perfection and grace of his paintings and drawings. Together with Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, he forms the traditional trinity of great masters of that period. Titian Titian Titian was the leading painter of the Venetian school in sixteenth century Italy, spanning a more than sixty-year career. His wide range of subject matter and deep interest in color has heavily influenced further developments in Western art. Diego Velazquez Diego Velazquez Diego Velazquez was a Spanish artist, court painter for King Philip IV, and one of the leading figures in the Baroque period. Known as a master of detail and light, Velazquez's work has been a significant influence on generations of artists and movements, from Realism to Surrealism. Edouard Manet Edouard Manet Edouard Manet was a French painter and a prominent figure in the mid-nineteenth-century Realist movement of French art.

Manet's paintings are considered among the first works of art in the modern era, due to his rough painting style and absence of idealism in his figures. Manet was a close friend of and major influence on younger artists who founded Impressionism such as Claude Monet, Edgar Degas and Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Pierre-Auguste Renoir Pierre-Auguste Renoir Pierre-Auguste Renoir was one of the leading figures of French Impressionism during the late-nineteenth century. Renoir tended to favor outdoor scenes, gardens bathed in sunlight, and large gatherings of people. Known as a master of light, shadow and color, Renoir was also highly esteemed for his depiction of natural movement on the canvas. In terms of the French Impressionists' lasting popularity and fame, Renoir is perhaps second only to Monet. Claude Monet Claude Monet Claude Monet was a French artist who helped pioneer the painterly effects and emphasis on light, atmosphere, and plein air technique that became hallmarks of Impressionism. He is especially known for his series of haystacks and cathedrals at different times of day, and for his late Waterlilies.

Camille Pissarro Camille Pissarro Camille Pissarro was a French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painter. Known as the "Father of Impressionism," he used his own painterly style to depict urban daily life, landscapes, and rural scenes. Vincent van Gogh Vincent van Gogh Vincent van Gogh was a Dutch painter, commonly associated with the Post-Impressionist period. As one of the most prolific and experimental artists of his time, van Gogh was a spontaneous painter and a master of color and perspective. Troubled by personal demons all his life, many historians speculate that van Gogh suffered from a Bipolar disorder. Paul Gauguin Paul Gauguin Paul Gauguin was a French Post-Impressionist artist who employed color fields and painterly strokes in his work. He is best known for his primitivist depictions of native life in Tahiti and Polynesia. Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne was an influential French Post-Impressionist painter whose depictions of the natural world, based on internal geometric planes, paved the way for Cubism and later modern art movements.

Eugène Delacroix Eugène Delacroix Eugène Delacroix was a mid-nineteenth-century French painter and pioneer of European Modernist painting. Known primarily as a Romantic, Delacroix's paintings were passionate in their depictions of love, war and human sensuality, earning the artist both praise and controversy in his time. His preoccupation with color-induced optical effects and use of expressive brushstrokes were crucial influences on Impressionism and Pointillism. Honoré Daumier Honoré Daumier Honore Daumier was a French painter, sculptor and printmaker during the mid-nineteenth century. Although an accomplished artist in several media, Daumier is most well-known for his political caricatures and satirical art. He was also a key figure in the painterly movement of French Naturalism. Eugéne Boudin Eugéne Boudin Eugéne Boudin was a French marine and landscape painter who worked primarily in the second half of the nineteenth century. His reputation steadily grew throughout his long career, eventually being awarded the Legion of Honor in 1892.

His plein air method of working had a significant influence on the young Monet and consequently the Impressionist movement. Henri Fantin-Latour Henri Fantin-Latour Henri Fantin-Latour was an Academy painter at the Ecole des Beaux Arts. He was best known for his still-lifes and group portraits of his Parisian artist and writer friends. Romanticism Romanticism Romanticism was a nineteenth-century movement that celebrated the powers of emotion and intuition over rational analysis or classical ideals. Romantic artists emphasized awe, beauty, and the sublime in their works, which frequently charted the darker or chaotic sides of human life. Japonisme Japonisme Japonisme describes the influence of Japanese art, especially woodblock prints, on French artists in the second half of the nineteenth century. Many Post-Impressionists were influenced by the flat blocks of color, the emphasis on design, and the simple, everyday subject matter. Walter Sickert Walter Sickert Walter Sicket was a German-born, English painter and a co-founder of the Camden Town Group, a collection of British Post-Impressionist artists that also included Wyndham Lewis and Augustus John.

Sickert's oeuvre favored urban scenes and portraits of ordinary people, often in moody or somewhat macabre settings, yet painted with a soft Victorian sensibility. Sickert was also something of an eccentric and aloof character, and due to some circumstantial evidence, is considered by some historians to be the infamous Jack the Ripper - a theory that isn't without controversy. Mary Cassatt Mary Cassatt Mary Cassatt was an American painter and printmaker active in France in the late nineteenth century. She was closely associated with Impressionism, and her signature subjects were intimate, domestic scenes of women, mothers, and children. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a Post-Impressionist artist who depicted the dancers, prostitutes, drinkers, and other characters of fin-de-siecle Paris. He is known for his paintings, his caricatures of friends, and his well-designed posters for Parisian dance halls. Post-Impressionism Post-Impressionism Post-Impressionism refers to a number of styles that emerged in reaction to Impressionism in the 1880s.

The movement encompassed Symbolism and Neo-Impressionism before ceding to Fauvism around 1905. Its artists turned away from effects of light and atmosphere to explore new avenues such as color theory and personal feeling, often using colors and forms in intense and expressive ways. Symbolism Symbolism Symbolism is an artistic and literary movement that first emerged in France in the 1880s. In the visual arts it is often considered part of Post-Impressionism. It is characterized by an emphasis on the mystical, romantic and expressive, and often by the use of symbolic figures.

Question: The Dance Class and Absinthe are famous works by which painter?
Answer: EDGAR DEGAS